I am doing my first condition inspection. I want to remove & inspect the finger screen on my fuel tank. Any tips & tricks for draining fuel out?, and for removing finger screen?. I am envisioning fuel all over me and the hangar floor.

Also lots of tips in this site if you SEARCH for them. The key is to take time using the electric pump to drain the tank -- run it until you hear it's tone change, then wait a minute or two for the draining fuel to refill the lower forward portion of the tank, then run the pump again. It may take a few iterations of this procedure.

I disconnect the fuel line at the gascolator and connect an aluminum U-pipe that discharges into a suitably bonded/grounded fuel drain can. Be prepared for some slight fuel spillage when you disconnect the fittings under the tank. Be careful when removing the lower fuel tank fittings that you do not over-stress the sealant used to seal the fittings to the tank -- use a double-wrench approach. Also, don't drain your fuel within a hangar. Drain the fuel outside and then move the plane back into the hangar. Too many fuel fumes within a hangar could result in a bad day!

when the fuel pump has pumped as much as it can push the tail of the plane down to the ground and hold it there (I tie a weight to the rear tiedown )
then when you remove the fittings from the bottom of the tank there wont be fuel dripping out when the fittings have been removed place suitable container under the tank and then raise the tail back to normal and the rest of the fuel will drip / run out into the container
this saves getting fuel running down your arm

when the fuel pump has pumped as much as it can push the tail of the plane down to the ground and hold it there (I tie a weight to the rear tiedown )
then when you remove the fittings from the bottom of the tank there wont be fuel dripping out when the fittings have been removed place suitable container under the tank and then raise the tail back to normal and the rest of the fuel will drip / run out into the container
this saves getting fuel running down your arm

Once the flared fitting is removed from the bottom of the tank, is the finger screen threaded into a tapered pipe fitting?.
I thought I read that loosening these fittings can result in breaking the proseal seal and cause a leaky tank, requiring full dis-assembly of the tank. Am I on the right track?.

Yes, the finger screen screws into a pipe flange that's riveted to the bottom of the tank. The flared fitting connects to the finger screen. You should be able to remove it without risking the proseal. It's the return line you have to worry about when you remove the tank. If it doesn't have an anti-rotation bracket then you have to be really careful and use two wrenches when loosening the flared fitting.

Thank you Dale.
After looking at the arrangement, it is tight in there. I am thinking a crows foot on a 3/8 drive ratchet to loosen the fittings ?, or can you get an open end wrench in there ?.
Thanks again.
Tom O.

It is pretty tight, especially if you have huge oversized mitts like mine. But if I can get an open end wrench in there, anyone can. Once you get the flare fitting off, I think you could use a ratcheting box-end wrench. I haven't removed just the finger screen yet, I had to pull the whole tank to rebuild it.

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